Ravichandran D.J Paul, Bernama 18 Mar 10;
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- The year 2010 is designated as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB2010) to celebrate life on earth with nations and regions taking their commitment further in conserving their genetic resources.
Closer to home, Asean has declared 2011 as the Asean Biodiversity Year which is timely looking at the region's fast depleting genetic resources due to rapid development, and excessive and inefficient consumption.
Though the Asean region only occupies three percent of the earth's surface, it is the home for 20 percent of all known flora and fauna. The mountains, jungles, rivers, lakes and seas of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam represent among the biggest biodiversity pools in the world.
Asean's rich biodiversity helps to sustain its half billion population and thus it is time the region take stock of its genetic resources and start utilising them in a sustainable manner.
But this is not going to be an easy task as biodiversity has no face and human avarice has no limit. This is where conservationists are seeking more engaging approaches for stakeholders that promise a win-win situation for the owner and user of genetic resources.
BIODIVERSITY MANKIND'S TREASURE TROVE
In seeking a long term solution for preserving biodiversity, Asean should reflect deeply on the third objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)that emphasizes on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).
During a workshop in Jakarta, prelude to IYB2010, conducted by the Philippine based Asean Centre for Biodiversity and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), Suhel Al-Janabi expounded on ABS.
Al-Janabi of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fUr Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in Germany started by providing some interesting examples of the ABS capacity development initiatives in Africa.
The examples illustrate how traditional know-how on genetic resources not only commercialised but preserved through mutual owner-consumer initiatives.
An interesting example is the gelatin free cereal known as Teff. For more than 5000 years the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea have been planting and consuming Teff that is easy to digest and rich in calcium. Teff is now widely used in the West to make special diet bread.
Thus farmers in Africa are the owners of this genetic resource and West is the consumer of this resource. The West not only has access to the resource but also shares the benefits from the resource with owners say through transfer of technology in cultivation or in capacity building. This in turn not only helps to preserve the genetic resource but also in enhancing them.
There are other similar examples. The San people in Southern Africa consume a succulent cactus - Hoodia Cordonii - indigenous to the region that suppresses hunger and thirst while they went on long hunting trips. Today compounds from the plant are widely used as appetite suppressant in weight loss formulas.
In Malaysia, researchers have isolated a compound from the latex of a tree (Calophyllum lanigerum var.auslrocoriaceum) that is used in treating the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).
The Chinese, said Al-Janabi have long been using the Artemisia plant that is used today to make anti-malarial drug.
SHARING GENETIC RESOURCES
While the above examples illustrate how important it is for mankind to preserve biodiversity, both providers and genetic resource users play a vital role here.
Valerie Normad of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity noted that while the convention recognises the sovereignty of every state over their genetic resources, fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their utilization is part of the equation.
Provider and users, she said, should not only consider monetary returns but also the non-monetary benefits - training of local scientist and capacity building, provision of infrastructure support and technologies, manufacturing facilities in the provider country, royalties shared by the provider and user and joint ownership of intellectual property rights.
She added that in meeting the objectives, local laws had to be enabled to complement ABS along with capacity building and technology transfer.
HEREOS OF BIODIVERSITY
Meanwhile, in roping in the participation of people from all walks of life the Asean Centre for Biodiversity is seeking biodiversity advocates - modern day heroes who can bring biodiversity closer to everyone.
The cadre of champions, maybe individuals, corporations or organisations will play the role of ambassadors of goodwill for biodiversity.
The centre seeks direct participation because mankind has the ability to influence the outcome of environmental and sustainable issues.
Their roles will be benchmarked in terms of the contribution to the human wellbeing, poverty reduction and as the basis for achievement of the Millennium Development Goal.
So are you ready to take up the challenge as Asean's ambassador of goodwill for biodiversity?
-- BERNAMA
